Food and Philanthropy

Courtney Chandler  

After deciding to come to Michigan, I remember thoroughly searching through the seemingly endless list of clubs offered across campus. Being a foodie, I took special note of clubs involving cooking, eating, or any combination of the two. In the end, I not only found Wolverine CuiZine, but additionally found two clubs that incorporated my love of food and philanthropy: Project Flavor and Kid’s Kitchen.

The members of Project Flavor meet bi-monthly at the Ronald McDonald House of Ann Arbor, which provides a ‘home away from home’ for families with hospitalized children. Ann Arbor’s Ronald McDonald house is located across from the Mary Markley dormitory, in close proximity to Mott’s Children’s Hospital. On alternating Fridays, members cook dinner for the families, and everything is made from scratch – from apple crisp to tabbouleh to hamburger buns (which ended up being a complete disaster and prompted a last-minute emergency trip to the store). At the end of each cook date (which last about four hours), the families come in and eat the meal.

Kid’s Kitchen has a similar mission statement – members meet approximately once a month for baking events. At these events, everyone bakes different sweet treats (such as cookies, cupcake, and rice krispie treats), which are then delivered to Mott’s Children Hospital or the Ronald McDonald house.

Both clubs offer extremely rewarding experiences, and the dinner and sweet treats hopefully bring homemade comfort to families and children in trying situations. Other food clubs across campus include: the Ann Arbor Student Coop, which provides fresh, affordable, and sustainable food to students on campus; Cultivating Community, which empowers students to become leaders in sustainable food systems through hands on organic gardening, community outreach, and education; and Food Futures, which brings together members of the Michigan law community and other professional and gradate students to help promote intelligent food production and food security policies.